I found Parts II, III and IV of the Saw series increasingly tedious, so much so that I left it six years before watching Part V. I was pleasantly surprised, then, to (eventually) find that the fifth instalment marked a turning point, the plot-line becoming a bit more interesting with Agent Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) taking on the mantle of Jigsaw, the gore being even more graphic, and the makers clearly taking matters with a welcome pinch of salt (the extreme nature of some of the gruesome traps bordering on self-parody). I was having fun at last.

The series continues to improve with Part VI, which develops the Hoffman character further, ladles on even more revolting splatter, and steadfastly refuses to get bogged down with trifling matters such as the cash, time, and skill required to build such amazing methods of torture. Part VI simply gets on with entertaining the fans, with a twisty-turny narrative and bucket-loads of the red stuff.

This time around, Jigsaw has assembled a group of despicable life-insurance business-people, and proceeds to teach them that choosing between life and death should not be an easy decision to make. As a result, bodies are blasted, crushed, hung, and, in the film's most revolting scene, melted from the inside with a highly corrosive acid. Meanwhile, the F.B.I. are closing in on Hoffman, although Kramer's wife Jill Tuck (Betsy Russell) also has a surprise in store for the deviant agent. Rather surprisingly, this satisfyingly sick chapter has left me looking forward to more Saw.

7.5/10, rounded up to 8 for IMDb.

Well, didn't think I'd be saying this. Sixth instalment in, and an improvement has been made. Woo. Hey, Jigsaw! Pop those confetti blasters. You've done it! Good job! But, it's by the smallest of margins, so let's not get too excited. Think of it as the lesser of two very blood-soaked evils. It's the exact same premise, with an identical narrative structure as every other bloody film in the series, just more balanced and with a slight commentary on America's healthcare system. Kramer's accomplice is still orchestrating tests set by the recently deceased serial killer, but is rapidly becoming discovered by detectives.

Oh, and don't forget, an individual must undergo a variety of traps and challenges to blah blah blah, you get the idea now. The exact same criticisms that I had with 'Saw V' apply here also. Bad acting (aside from Bell),massively convoluted plot that just goes further down the mechanical rabbit hole, uninspired traps and a mass outbreak of flashbacks that explain even more intricacies that the series has apparently left. Key characters are constantly being resurrected and then dying again, just so that the another sequel can be produced. Honestly, there cannot be anymore detectives left, surely? Yet it's not a complete atrocity.

The corruption and selfish behaviour of businessmen in the healthcare industry is somewhat depicted with an ounce of humanity. The life or death ultimatums that this victim encounters, certainly assisted in ramping up that needed tension. Don't get me wrong, it's still terribly paced with a narrative so splintered that it could be classed as one of Kramer's traps. Predictable right down to the sawed off bone, hitting every beat of the franchise's tedious formula. Six films in and the excessive use of gore has truly diminished any impact. These are no longer categorised as horror films. I'd go as far as saying that "Saw" is now it's own genre. There. It's done. Apparently though, more of the story needs to be told as there is a seventh and final chapter remaining! Jeez...

Police detective Hoffman (Costas Mandylor) continues the work of Jigsaw (Tobin Bell). Jill (Betsy Russell) opens the box. Reporter Pamela Jenkins (Samantha Lemole) knows about the box. Erickson (Mark Rolston) brings back Agent Perez (Athena Karkanis). Amanda (Shawnee Smith) is also back in flashbacks. William (Peter Outerbridge) is a greedy healthcare executive taking away coverage from sick people for technicalities.

This is better. It's more straight forward. It's back to basics. The test follows William from start to finish. There are a couple of nice Saw twists at the end. It's a marked improvement over some of the previous sequels. This franchise is more resilient than I expected.